The Cookie Experiment
by LaurielS
Summary: Glorfindel argues with Elrond over little Estel's ability to withhold his desire of eating cookies, not knowing that something larger is at work... One shot. Reviews and comments are welcomed.


**The Cookie Experiment**

Author's Note: So, I got this idea after I read the marshmallow experiment with kids and watching a parody involving cookie monster and lord of the rings after searching for lord of the rings videos on youtube. Wow. Reviews and comments are, as usual, welcomed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything, except my own ideas. Oh, and some characters might seem rather out-of-character...

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this story.

**The Cookie Experiment**

"No he can't."

"Yes he can."

Glorfindel heaved a sigh. This was never going to end. _Why am I doing this again?_

_Oh, right._

It all started when Estel pulled him off insistently into the kitchen to bake cookies (_Whoever has heard of a Balrog slayer baking cookies, of all things, he thought)_ because he happened to be free then and was unfortunately spotted by the child, who had been trying to find a companion to melt chocolate with whilst the twins got the other ingredients ready. How Elrond had heard of it he had no idea, and he prayed that the whole of Imladris did not yet know what he had done, but it did not seem likely as Elrond had personally come down the kitchen to escort him to his office. However, being then already exasperated from trying to stop Estel from eating off all the chocolate, he had been thankful for this timely rescue then and had on their way back grumbled to Elrond about cookies, children, and supposedly grown elves. Looking back, if he knew that the usually objective Elrond would get on the defensive side, he would have stayed in the kitchen and made more cookies.

"Look, Elrond, I know he is Isildur's heir and your foster child, but that does not immune him to cookies. No children, elven or not, are immune to cookies. Especially chocolate ones."

Elrond threw him a patient look and replied confidently, "Glorfindel, I know my child. He will not succumb to the chocolate cookies if he has a reward waiting for him."

"He will not even wait five minutes before the cookie is devoured! I assure you of that fact, Elrond."

"I will willingly bet you a week's off that Estel will not eat the cookies."

"And I will bet you a bottle of Miruvor that Estel will eat the cookies."

There was silence as the two elves started judging each other, Glorfindel's expression an almost perfect imitation of his lord's.

At that precise moment, a quiet knock came on the door before a small boy peaked in, glancing at the two elves engaged in a staring competition. Undeterred however by the scene before him, Estel asked in his sweetest voice, "Can I come in, Ada?"

Elrond broke his eye contact with Glorfindel and turned to Estel, smiling slightly. "We were just talking about you, Estel. Come in."

With the approval, little Estel trotted in, carrying a small plate full of cookies into the room. He treaded slowly and steadily, his eyes never leaving the treasure-laden plate in case any cookie decided to make a valiant attempt to escape from the plate. Once he put down the plate on the table, however, he jumped right up onto Elrond's lap.

"Ada! What were you and Glorf'del talking about just now?"

"About you, Estel. Now look at the cookies—"

"Mmm cookies…" murmured Estel dreamily.

"Now, if you don't eat them for five minutes, you get three cookies instead of the usual one from this plate—"

"No way, Elrond, the twins have tried this before. Estel did not even last two minutes," cut in Glorfindel, shaking his head.

"Is that so? Well Estel, shall we show Glorfindel you can?"

"Yes!" nodded Estel excitedly and began staring at the cookies. The chocolate cookies waited patiently on the plate for him, basking in the sun as the chocolate fragrance wafted into the air, seducing everyone, especially the small child sitting in front of them. But the child was determined to wait.

…

Three minutes had passed and Estel still stared motionlessly at the plate of cookies, showing no sign of giving up whilst Glorfindel could already see his bottle of Miruvor flying away.

He needed to save that bottle.

With that, he took a cookie and nibbled a corner as Estel turned to stare at him.

"Are you sure you don't want a cookie, Estel?" asked Glorfindel innocently, exaggerating his eating movements to catch the child's attention.

Little Estel hesitated. The cookies looked extremely good. He drummed his fingers impatiently on his lap and seriously considered taking one, before shaking his head slowly but resolutely. Three cookies were worth the wait. But why oh why was five minutes so slow?

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow and shrugged before proceeding to finish the cookie right in front of Estel, who continued to look at him hungrily. Underneath that passive face, however, Estel was trying his hardest to fend off the temptation, partly by grabbing Elrond's robes so tightly that Elrond thought that it was going to tear. May it be that his robes would not be an accidental casualty in this bet...

…

One more minute.

Estel was bouncing slightly on Elrond's lap now as he stared determinedly at the cookies. He had waited for so long now. He wasn't going to let a few seconds take his two cookies away!

A few moments later…

"Alright, Estel, you can take three cookies now," came Elrond's calm voice.

Upon hearing that, Estel let out a joyful cry to which Elrond winced, before taking three cookies and speeding to the door.

"Thank you Ada!" he waved, before turning to Glorfindel, "bye Glorf'del!"

Glorfindel turned to face Elrond, who was smiling smugly whilst straightening his robes. "How…?"

"I know him best, Glorfindel. He is my son."

"But why…? The twins…?"

"Glorfindel, did you see the twins doing that to Estel?"

"No, but Erestor said he sa—oh…"

"I think you see the problem now, Glorfindel. You really should not have mixed Erestor's ink with grape juice."

"But Estel wanted to see how the grape juice stains! Wait, you mean… this whole thing…"

Elrond smiled but gave no reply, as he focused his energy on the plate of cookies in front of him, made all the more delicious as it came from his sons. He took no notice of Glorfindel muttering something about lords and their chief councilors as he waved him to the door.

Glorfindel proceeded to the kitchens. He needed to drown himself in cookies. Now.

==The End==


End file.
